1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to content creation and delivery. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for enhancing content creation and delivery for use with new emerging display technologies not based on CRT.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With today's current technology, it is difficult, if not impossible to re-create a content creator's artistic intent (i.e., with respect to color) on a video display device, especially a video display device for home use. Generally speaking, the only place where such re-creation is possible is in the theater on either film or digital cinema. This “content creator's artistic intent” with respect to color is referred to herein as the “color space” of the content.
The color space for consumer use has been always targeted for traditional Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display devices. The idea of extending the color space for different display devices has been the subject of research and publication. Several companies have proposed methods for enhancing the color gamut and/or dynamic range on their display devices, but to date, no known end- to-end system provides backwards compatibility.
New display technologies are under development and are entering the consumer marketplace. Such new display technologies offer greater picture reproduction capabilities than traditional CRT-based displays. However, present-day video content mastering processes, delivery systems, coding systems and signaling are based solely on CRT.
As new display technologies with High Dynamic Range (HDR), Enhanced Color Gamut (ECG), and other features enter the consumer marketplace, it becomes necessary to establish a new content production chain that can maximize the potential of these display technologies. Examples of these types of new display technologies include, but are not limited to, Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD), Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS), Plasma Display Panel (PDP), Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Enhanced Color Gamut (ECG) display devices.
FIG. 1 shows the color space relationship 100 in today's post production processes. In this example, three separate color adjustments (106, 108, 110) are performed (i.e., one for film 106, one for digital cinema 108, and one for video 110). The digital course content is color adjusted (104) by a skilled colorist. The Film Master 106 (referred to herein as color space X) requires scene by scene adjustment to prepare the content for film projection. The Digital Cinema Master 108 (Referred to herein as color space Y) requires scene-by-scene adjustments made for digital cinema, and the video master (herein referred to as color space Z) requires a scene-by-scene adjustment made for the home vide environment.
Due to the significant differences between the characteristics of each variation, these color adjustments are very much a creative process and have not been easily automated. To date there exist no widely available mathematical transform that can translate from one of these versions to another. Thus, as these new display types and technologies are added that diverge significantly from those shown in the figure, it becomes necessary to generate additional variant masters to address these new display capabilities.